Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-09-29

| my cut. .=. HHt .N
"What does it matter? Marry. the
lady. Your little shop girl does not
know anything about you. Keep your
fortune and your sweetheart also"
managed my little affair SO as to
avoid suspicion on both sides. Reckless
of the wrong was doing to two good
and pure young girls, l floated down
the stream toward my wedding day.
But Satan always deserts his friends
at last. A letter from my father, which
l had recklessly carried about me, fell
from my pocket unseen by me one
night as parted from Airline.
She read it. Perhaps Jealousy
prompted her; and she fancied that she
might have discovered rivals billet
doux. At all events she read it, and
learned from it all the truth. Charged
with it. could not deny the facts.
could only VOW that / loved her and
her alone. Poor child ! As she listened
saw all hope and sweetness die out Of
her face. White and despairing, with
her eyes diating and her lips set hard.
she looked at me and said nothing,
she drowned herse If in the Seine that
night, and when next l saw her it was
upon marble slab in the Morgue, her
hands upon her breast, her hair falling
about her like black veil, my ring
upon her finger. My friend, l did not
marry Mile. Moran. Remorse over
whelmed me at last. confessed all to
my father. broke my engagement. and
leaving home and friends behind me,
enlisted in the army. | sought death.
Those who seek him he sEuns. | was
called brave man Who that hated
life would not be brave ? When you
knew me wore the captains epaul-
| cites.
l need not tell you of my soldiers
life or of the wounds by which / WAS
invalided
Hearing of them, my father. who
had at last forgiven me, bestowed upon
me his pardon and gave me this little
place at ST. Sauveur. Here | have
lived ever since, helpless, shattered
wreck. almost incapable of motion. IL
is five years since | came here, and at
the end of the second began the incred-
IDLE part of my story.
My temper, rs you know, was none
of the bcst and hated the sight of man
at times. Greatly rs | needed him. |
often drove my attached old soldier
servant from me. and, one day, when |
had done this, sat alone in my great
chair by the seward window of my
sleeping apartment, when very
strange thing happened to me- | felt
hand upon my head. 1t was wo-
mans hand. soft and warm aud gentle.
1t trined with my curls in a fashion
that thrilled me with memories of the
past
was not frightened was simply
perplexed. | spoke. said as some
one near mo whom do not see?' but
there was no answer. Soon | fell as
leep, luled as a babe mght be by its
mothers caresses by that phantom
touch.
This happened more than once. Then
still stranger things occurred. became
aware that some ministering creature
/ was near me. Inanimate objects were
moved toward me at my need, without
any visible human agency.
Books were brought within my reach
Flowers were pluckcd from the vines
without the door. A glass of my wine
) was poured out and set before me, ant
after all these little offices came sof
| caresscs. A kiss. touch of hanC
upon my cheek. The most loving an,
tender being was this sprite, and
l longed to see il with longing in
descrbablc. was no longer unhappy
| grew almost gay. | still drove III
1 servant away. but. it was that this I'M
| seen being might manifest itself to me
d You, my dear friend. | remember
. use to congratulate me on my recover
l. ed spirits. never told you the cause
o | dreaded that q revelation of the trut
d might drive my spirit love forever frol
my side.
have told You all that there is
l. tell, l think. After all, when OF
comes to write it down it is not s
s. much. sum it up in these few word
fl Whenever was alone this unseen for
}. was beside me. At night l felt
he womans check against my own;
III day there was a loving. ministcrii
n creature at my side. prayed for ;
re aud BILE word, for one glimpse of II
" fond being, over and over again, but
| heard and saw nothing The longrl
re within me grew intense. ] pleaded wi
hit heaven for more than had been Civ
G. me. At last my prayer was answere
ic My own hand was seized as sat at 1
of writing table. Great irregular cha
Id acters were dashed across the papt
Y. They read thus:
ny You ask for what would give y
in pain. Let matters remain as they nj
IL One is near you who loves you so tn
TO her spirit has won its way earthwa
to minister unto YOU"
to / wrote beneath these lines: LET l
er see her."
ill And then this was written: II
nut shall have your way. Tonight y
of shall see her."
How | waited for to-nigbts comm
or How eagerly my eyes sought to pier
Dr. the shadows of the gathering twilig
lie sent my servant away upon an ezra
l which must detain him for hours a
he l forbade him to light a lamp.
an As the shadows thickened | gr
The more and more wrestless. Had be
Oh, deceivedp Would my wish actually
S a gratfied !? Where were the hands Il
were usually lowering about m
md What was this feeling of loneliness a
yht desolation ? My eyes wandered fri
ere spot to spot. They saw nothing. I
ned room grew dark. 1t was m oonl
MT | ni1ht and only tho male stars look cd